Rising Appalachia

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Rising Appalachia
Sisters Chloe and Leah Smith of Rising Appalachia
Chloe and Leah Smith of Rising Appalachia in May 2008
Background information
OriginAtlanta, Georgia
GenresWorld, folk, soul
Years active2005 - present
LabelsIndependent
Associated actsThe RISE Collective
Websiterisingappalachia.com
MembersLeah Song, Chloe Smith, Biko Casini, David Brown, Arouna Diarra, Duncan Wickel

Rising Appalachia is an American folk music group led by multi-instrumentalist sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith.[1] Leah also performs as a solo artist. Based between Southern Appalachia and New Orleans, the sisters work with an array of international musicians and the band incorporates everything from simple harmonics with banjos and fiddles, to a wide variety of drums, kalimbas, beatbox, djembe, balafon, congas, didgeridoo, tablas, spoons and washboard creating a full mix of world, folk and soul music.

Rising Appalachia is independent from the mainstream music industry. The sisters managed, produced and marketed the project themselves from the beginning and only later started to build up a small management team. Their first four albums were self-produced and self-funded. For their fifth album, Filthy Dirty South,[2] they raised in 2011 within one month a total of $11,180.00 on the crowd funding web site Kickstarter.[3]

Rising Appalachia has performed at many musical festivals throughout the United States but also in Colombia, Costa Rica, Canada, India, Puerto Rico, Italy,[4] Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Ireland and Scotland.[5][6]

History[]

Early days[]

In 2005, sisters Leah and Chloe Smith, decided one afternoon to record their first album, Leah and Chloe,[7] in the basement studio of a friend in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The album was meant as a gift for family and friends but they received so much support and recognition for it that they decided to officially start a band called Rising Appalachia.[8] The sisters moved to New Orleans[9] in 2006, about a year after hurricane Katrina.[10]

In the early days, the sisters busked, in the French Quarter of New Orleans and elsewhere.[8] They began to find their own natural interpretation of Appalachian music which brought together folk, soul, hip-hop, classical, southern gospel and other styles[5] based on their upbringing on traditional Appalachian string band music, as well as on their exposure to urban music like hip-hop and jazz and the influence of roots music of all kinds which they experienced during their worldwide travels.[11] They released their second album, Scale Down in 2007.[12]

On June 29, 2008 the group played their last show under the name Rising Appalachia during Concrete Pandemonium III at the Eyedrum Art Gallery in Atlanta[13] before it was changed to R.I.S.E.

Chloe and Leah Smith at FloydFest 2010

R.I.S.E. (2008-2010) and the Rise Collective[]

As R.I.S.E. they released their first live album Evolutions in Sound: Live in 2008,[14] the only album which would be released under this name. In February 2010 the band announced they would reclaim the original name of the band, Rising Appalachia, but would incorporate RISE in the name of a supporting project, the Rise Collective.[14]

The Rise Collective uses both lyrical prowess and diverse artistic collaborations. It consists of a crew of global performers, activists, youth educators, dancers, circus artists, yoginis, acrobatics, fire spinners, poets, aerialists, cultural workers and others who perform at music festivals, rallies and street parties and hold sound education workshops at youth centers, schools, prisons and other locations. The Rise Collective activities include acro-yoga, aerial performance, fire spinning, sound workshops, yoga, meditation, and youth education.[15]

Together with the music of Rising Appalachia, the collective is used to support many of the Smith sisters' community-based projects uniting the arts and justice. Having themselves been community activists during their travels, Leah and Chloe Smith want their art to also be a source of activism, as well as of cultural development.[11]

Rising Appachia redux (2010-2014)[]

Sisters Chloe and Leah Smith in New Orleans, 2010

2010 brought a return to the band's original name and the release of their third studio album, The Sails of Self. The band expanded, with percussionist Biko Casini and bassist David Brown officially joining the band for this album and tour.[14]

In 2011, they raised a total of $11,180.00 within one month for their next album, Filthy Dirty South,[2] on the crowd funding web site Kickstarter.[3] They released Filthy Dirty South, their fourth studio album, in 2012.[16] The album was reviewed in the January 2013 issue of INsite Atlanta.[17]

In 2013, they produced their first remix album, Soul Visions, in collaboration with The Human Experience.[18]

Slow Music Movement and the Wider Circles Rail Tour (2015)[]

On July 17, 2015, Rising Appalachia released their fifth studio album, Wider Circles.[19] It was reviewed by Jonathan Levitt in Blurt,[19] and Desdemona Dallas of LostInSound.org.[20]

Leah Song coined the term "Slow Music Movement" while preparing for a TedX talk.[21] During their Wider Circles[22] Rail Tour, the band travelled by Amtrak train. Song connected this with the "Slow Music Movement", which she described as exploring the question as to how music can be a public service, [23] saying:

We want to have relationships with the farmers and the food of each region and also to have a relationship with different educational initiatives and non-profits. We have a policy that at each show at least two non-profits are welcome, invited — non-profits or educational initiatives, arts justice projects — to the show to set up tables and let the audiences know, as well as ourselves, what’s going on locally.[24]

Permaculture Action Network and the Fertile Grounds Tour (2016)[]

The band chose the name "Fertile Grounds" for their 2016 tour to celebrate their new partnership with the Permaculture Action Network. In an interview, Chloe Smith stated that the band would be "hosting a series of Permaculture Action Days in association with a number of our performance dates with the goal of helping to connect our audiences with tangible on-the-ground action and education."[25]

Alive (2017)[]

Rising Appalachia's first live album, Alive, was released on September 29, 2017. The release was covered by Kath Galasso of OnStage Magazine, who wrote that "Alive moves from traditional to contemporary to spiritual smoothly, never forgetting the global narrative."[26]

Alive was named an album of the year by theartsdesk.com.[27]

Chloe Smith, Resilient Tour, Atlanta, 2018

Resilient tour (2018)[]

The single "Resilient" was released on May 1, 2018.[28] The video, which features dancers Quentin Robinson, Justin Conte, Lukas van der Fecht, and Amy Secada, was reviewed by Bob Boilen for NPR Music's All Songs TV,[29] and by Steph Castor for the June 2018 issue of .[30]

The Resilient tour began on May 3 in Thornville, Ohio at Nelson Ledges Quarry Park. The tour included performances at the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope, North Carolina, the LEAF Festival in Asheville, the Music on the Mesa Festival in Taos, New Mexico, and the Winnipeg Folk Festival.[28]

Leylines tour (2019)[]

Leah Song at LEAF Festival, May 11, 2018

Rising Appalachia released their sixth studio album, Leylines, on May 3, 2019, and the tour to promote it began on May 5 at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans. Tour stops included the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas, the Esalen Midsummer Festival in Big Sur, California, the Evolve Festival in Fredericton, Canada, and the Sisters Folk Festival in Sisters, Oregon.[31]

The theme of Leylines is interconnectedness. In an interview, Chloe Smith said that the word 'leylines' "alludes to magnetic points of spirit, energy, history, and power in various parts of the world. Unique connections that are more subtle than linear, if you will. We always sense connections between far removed places, and our album is a reflection of that with the layering of Appalachia, Ireland, and West Africa. We wanted to weave lines of connections aurally with both traditional music from those places as well as contemporary lyrics..."[32]

The album was reviewed by Linda Garnett in Indie Music Women[33] and by George Graham in The Graham Album Review.[34]

Releases and online show (2020)[]

2020 brought the coronavirus which curtailed the production of live shows. Regarding this turn of events, Chloe wrote, "Now, in the time of corona, we are seeing the necessary roles of music and healing practices in our abilities to see through this pandemic and stay steady on our course of compassion and strength."[35]

Rising Appalachia released a new music video, "Stand Like an Oak," on Earth Day, April 22.[36] Regarding her reasons for writing this song, Chloe wrote, "I wrote this song for a loved one going through the wave and arc of depression and anxiety, someone whom I wanted to sing a reminder to, to find her roots and footing when the wind blows strong. Mental health is a gripping mountain for so many people to climb, and this song honors that journey as well as the people who pull us up out of it."[35] Leah wrote that "[it] is a song to remind us of our innate sturdiness and deep roots in this vital dark soil of Earth; the innate presence and stability of the Oaktree as our model and muse of calmness in the great storms."[35]

In collaboration with David Brown's Castanea, a "Resilient Remix" music video was released on May 15,[37] which was featured on "Episode 515: We’re All About The Music!"[38] In June, in collaboration with Dirtwire, the single "Pulse" was released.[39]

The band launched a Patreon presence on August 1.[40] Later in August the band announced the release of a music video of "Pulse."[41]

On November 26, the band announced that they would be playing a full band livestream concert on December 15.[42]

The Lost Mystique of Being in the Know (2021)[]

The band dropped a surprise album, The Lost Mystique of Being in the Know, on May 21, 2021.[43] It is their ninth album (seventh studio album), and was reviewed by Jim Shahen in The Journal of Roots Music, who wrote that "it's a testament to their exuberance and spontaneous creativity."[44]

Rising Appalachia at The Ogden, New Orleans on November 11, 2011

Artistic collective members and instruments[]

Awards and recognition[]

  • Evolutions in Sound was named Green Album of the Year (2008 by the Huffington Post)[45]
  • Atlanta's Best Folk Act (by Creative Loafing)[46]
  • Alive was named an Album of the Year (by theartsdesk.com)[27]

Discography[]

See also: Leah Song § Selected discography

Albums[]

  • Rising Appalachia (2006). Leah and Chloe (CD). CD Baby/Rising Appalachia.
  • Rising Appalachia (2007). Scale Down (CD). CD Baby/Unwound.
  • R.I.S.E. (Rising Appalachia) (2008). Evolutions in Sound: Live (CD). CD Baby/R.I.S.E. (Rising Appalachia).
  • Rising Appalachia (2010). The Sails of Self (CD). CD Baby/Rising Appalachia.
  • Rising Appalachia (2012). Filthy Dirty South (CD). CD Baby/Rising Appalachia.
  • Rising Appalachia (2015). Wider Circles (CD). Rising Appalachia.[47]
  • Rising Appalachia (2017). Alive (CD). Rising Appalachia. (live album)
  • Rising Appalachia (2019). Leylines (CD). Rising Appalachia.
  • Rising Appalachia (2021). The Lost Mystique of Being in the Know (CD). Rising Appalachia.

Remix albums[]

  • Soul Visions (2013, in collaboration with The Human Experience)
  • Remast (2018, in collaboration with Castanea, band member David Brown's side project)

Contributions[]

  • Rising Appalachia; The Human Experience (2013d). "Sunu". The Bloom Series Vol 1: Fundamental Frequencies. Muti Music.

DVDs[]

  • Rising Appalachia (2012c). Live at Echo Mountain (DVD). CD Baby.

Interviews and talks[]

See also: Leah Song § Interviews and talks

Live broadcasts[]

Music videos[]

  • Rising Appalachia (2010a). Scale Down (video). Scott McKibben Photography and Captain Crazy Productions. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2010b). Zavidi Me Lalino (video). Captain Crazy TV. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2011a). Nobody's Fault But Mine (video). With Garrett Turner. W.B. Yeats Foundation. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2011b). Sunu (video). Directed by Chad Hess. Chad Hess Production. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2011c). Sunu #2 (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2011d). Swoon (video). Directed by Chad Hess. Chad Hess Production. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2012a). Across the Blue Ridge Mountains (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2012b). Don't Miss Your Water (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2013a). Closer to the Edge (video). Directed by Chad Hess. Chad Hess Production. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2013b). Filthy Dirty South (video). Scott McKibben Photography. Retrieved May 8, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2014a). Fly Around My Pretty Lil' Miss (video). Image Digital Media. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2015a). Medicine (video). Jeremy Jensen Media. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2015b). Wider Circles Live Cut on the Train (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved May 11, 2015.
  • Rising Appalachia (2018). Resilient (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  • Rising Appalachia (2019a). Harmonize (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  • Rising Appalachia (2019b). Cuckoo (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  • Rising Appalachia (2020a). Stand like an Oak (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved June 14, 2020.
  • Rising Appalachia + Dirtwire (2020). Pulse (video). Rising Appalachia. Retrieved August 6, 2021.

Notes[]

  1. ^ Sibley & Hess 2009.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b Rising Appalachia 2012.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b Rising Appalachia 2011k.
  4. ^ Brooklyn Daily 2008.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Alexander 2011.
  6. ^ NPR 2006.
  7. ^ Rising Appalachia 2006.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Freeman 2013.
  9. ^ Shapiro 2016.
  10. ^ St. Simons 2015.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Brewer 2007.
  12. ^ Rising Appalachia 2007.
  13. ^ Williams 2008.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b c Deming 2016.
  15. ^ Rising Appalachia n.d.
  16. ^ Wildsmith 2012.
  17. ^ Love, Moore & Smith 2013, p. 20.
  18. ^ Getz 2021.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b Levitt 2015.
  20. ^ Dallas 2015.
  21. ^ Keyframe Entertainment 2016.
  22. ^ Rising Appalachia 2015.
  23. ^ Bernhardt 2015.
  24. ^ Ogbonna 2015.
  25. ^ Kramer 2016.
  26. ^ Galasso 2017.
  27. ^ Jump up to: a b Colombus 2017.
  28. ^ Jump up to: a b GGM Staff 2018.
  29. ^ Boilen 2018.
  30. ^ Castor 2018.
  31. ^ GGM Staff 2019.
  32. ^ Kaplan 2019.
  33. ^ Garnett 2019.
  34. ^ Graham 2019.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b c Milligan 2020.
  36. ^ BGS Staff 2020.
  37. ^ IPVR 2020.
  38. ^ Hall 2020.
  39. ^ Freeman 2020.
  40. ^ Rising Appalachia 2020b.
  41. ^ Rising Appalachia 2020c.
  42. ^ Hopkins 2020.
  43. ^ Ruggieri 2021.
  44. ^ Shahen 2021.
  45. ^ Biggers 2009.
  46. ^ English 2014.
  47. ^ Swaidner 2015.

References[]

Further reading[]

External links[]

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